


I'll be your Sword and Shield

by Luna_guna13



Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: Attempt at angst, Hurt No Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Knight!Arthur, M/M, Mention of sex, Prince!Gilgamesh, Unrequited Love, alternative universe, but nothing explict, no beta read, this was supposed to be happy and fluffy, well sorta, welp it's a sad story now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22023439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna_guna13/pseuds/Luna_guna13
Summary: The prince's 18th Birthday had arrived and Gilgamesh was not delighted to find out, that his parents assigned him a personal knight as a present.But the knight turned out to be, far more interesting than Gilgamesh originally anticipated to be.
Relationships: Gilgamesh | Archer/Arthur Pendragon | Saber
Comments: 10
Kudos: 36





	I'll be your Sword and Shield

**Author's Note:**

> This is longer than I expected it to be soo......  
> I hope you enjoy it! :D
> 
> (disclaimer, this was written in the middle of the night, so I hope it's not too trashy lmao)

The prince's 18th birthday had arrived and the kingdom made sure to decorate the streets and halls with colorful riches and bows. 

The streets were flooded with all different kinds of people, excited to join the special occasion.

The King and Queen made sure to announce their son's birthday in high spirits and invited the nearby kingdoms, to join the festivities as well.

The prince, Gilgamesh, was excited, to say the least. He couldn't wait to see what kind of present his parents were going to give him, perhaps a piece of their land? Or a treasure no one else had heard of? He expected something extraordinary, it was his 18th birthday, after all, he made sure to remind his parents a lot, about its importance. 

In all honesty, the prince couldn't care less, about his own birthday or how much older he got. He just wanted to finally rule about something, truly rule and not have his parents and advisers loom over his shoulders the whole time.

Even if it was just a small piece of land, Gilgamesh wouldn't care, he will rule it with pride and power, he will make sure of it.  
He had the perfect plan on how to rule and how to make his people serve him, it was perfect, he couldn't wait to finally get out of his stupid little room inside of his parent's palace.

How could he be sure, about receiving an even greater role of power? Well, his sisters obtained their fair share of land, after their 18th birthday, so why wouldn't he?

He thought more about his soon to be present until he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

A petit maid with braided brown hair stepped into the prince's chamber, with a silent bow.

"The King and Queen are ready my lord, they're waiting for you inside the dining ro-. " The maid wasn't even able to finish her sentence, before the prince shot up with a grin while rushing to the dining room.

He tried his best, to comb his hair with his hands and straighten his clothes.  
Gilgamesh desired to look like a true king, before granting the common folk, the honor, of gazing upon his appearance. 

His clothes were mostly white, decorated with golden strings and ornaments. Finishing the look with a long flourish white cape, with the inside dyed in a rich ruby red, matching the prince's eyes.

Gilgamesh also made sure to wear his crown, even though it often got tangled unto his locks. It hurt sure, but it also demonstrated his authority perfectly, so he decided to endure it.

The crown was without a doubt beautiful, it was made out of pure gold, of course, and decorated with different kinds of sized of rubies. Most of the jewelry Gilgamesh and his sisters wore were made out of rubies, it simply emphasized their beautiful eye color and Gilgamesh won't deny, that he fancied the stones in general.  
The crown was small, but Gilgamesh wouldn't have it any other way, larger sizes simply hurt his head too much and were a pain to stabilize, he truly didn't understand how his father managed to move with his own crown...

After walking a few minutes Gilgamesh finally reached the doors to the dining hall, the palace was huge and it could take someone an hour to travel from one point to another.  
The guards gave him a humble bow and opened the heavy, yet elegant doors for him.

The prince almost got blinded as soon as the doors opened. The room was decorated in almost pure gold, the table was filled with a buffet of rare and luxurious food together with the richest wine the land had to offer. To Gilgamesh, a wealthy royal who was used to this sort of lifestyle since birth, this sight was nothing new, so he proceeded to look for his parents.

He spotted them outside the room on top of the balcony, chatting with a man Gilgamesh didn’t recognize.

He walked over to them and announced with a cough his presence, excited to finally receive his present. 

All three of them turned around, his father, Lugalbanda walked up to him and patted his back with a grin.

  
“ If it isn’t the birthday boy.” 

His mother gave him after the ‘greeting’ a hug and squealed a _happy birthday._

She tended to be overexcited when it came to these kinds of things.

Gilgamesh expectantly glanced over to the stranger, waiting for him to congratulate him and introduce himself, but nothing came.

His father sensed the questioning behavior, of his son and quickly introduced the man.

“Ah, yes this is Arthur Pendragon.”

The man gave Gilgamesh a small smile and gave him a polite bow.

The man, Arthur, was tall and fair. He was a bit on the handsome side, okay a bit was an understatement, he was extremely good looking, but Gilgamesh wasn’t going to admit that.

Arthur was well built, it was rather obvious that he worked out every day, keeping his form in check.

 _‘What a real Prince Charming...’_ Gilgamesh rolled his eyes, the man didn’t seem to be interesting at all, so Gilgamesh tried his best to be patient, while his father introduced Arthur to him.

“...We have assigned him to be your personal knight for the upcoming years.”

_‘Oh okay. Wa-wAIT what?!’_

Personal knight?! He wanted to have full control over a piece of land, so that he had no one to lecture him, about what was right and what was wrong. But now he was getting a personal knight?! Someone who does basically nothing but follow you and nitpicks your decisions?

Gilgamesh absolutely hated his parent's suggestion, but there was little he could do against it, so he decided to press his own matters further.

“About my birthday present, I think that the land of Redville would be a goo-.”

“ Your birthday present? I thought that I have already introduced it, it is this young and charming man in front of you.” His father gestured to Arthur, who was secretly holding back a chuckle, due to Gilgamesh’s shocked face.

_“What?”_

His mother clapped her hands together and gave him a cheerful smile.

“ Oh, this is just perfect my dear! You see, Arthur right here comes from a group called ‘ _the Knights of the Round Table’_. They are the most skilled and strongest knights we have to offer, we are lucky to have Arthur with us.

She gave Arthur a beaming smile and continued on.

“He will be able to teach you a lot of things about combat, which is never a bad thing.”

Gilgamesh just gave them a ‘ _are you serious look’,_ while Arthur watched him with bemused eyes.

“Is there anything else...?” Gilgamesh still kept his hopes up, but the questionable faces of his parents already told him enough.

He let out a groan and walked back to the dining halls, hoping to at least enjoy the festivities a bit.

“Ah, my dear, don’t forget to greet everyone during the party.”

The prince responded to his mother’s wish with a quiet _‘hmph’,_ as he walked down the stairs of the balcony, what he didn’t notice was, that a certain blonde was following him.

——

Gilgamesh tried to enjoy the festival he truly did, but how was he supposed to enjoy them when there was a certain knight following his every move.

Wherever he went Arthur followed, Gilgamesh already told him to go and mind his own business, but Arthur simply responded with an oh-so reasonable _‘my job is to be by your side.’_

 _God_ , how Gilgamesh hated it.

A large table with gifts from the different kinds of guests was located in the main ballroom. The prince doubted that most of them will be of use to him, but he accepted them nonetheless.

As the prince walked around the ballroom, he noticed a burst of familiar laughter echoing through the room, which immediately lightened Gilgamesh’s mood, something that didn’t get unnoticed by Arthur.

  
It was Ozymandias, a fellow prince from a faraway kingdom. He was arrogant and prideful, quite like Gilgamesh himself. One would think that their personalities would clash, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. 

Gilgamesh walked up to the prince with a smirk and gave him a soft bump with his shoulders.  
The said prince turned around with annoyed eyes, questioning who would dare to bump into him until he noticed who it was.

He mirrored Gilgamesh’s smirk, with crossed arms and gave him a small ‘ _heh_ ’.

“Well if it isn’t the star of tonight’s show.”

The two princes chatted into the night, exchanging pleasant stories and memories. Gilgamesh did notice that a man was standing beside Ozymandias during their exchange and requested his state of business, questioning the man’s unusual behavior, but before Gilgamesh could assume more things about the stranger, Ozymandias introduced him as Arash, his personal guard.

Gilgamesh almost broke into laughter as soon as he heard the explanation.

The blonde teased Ozymandias for needing such a thing, but he, of course, didn’t mention Arthur, who thankfully just stayed silent the entire night. 

Ozymandias simply responded with a smirk, expecting the others usual behaviour. 

“Well, I wouldn’t underestimate him if I were you.” With that the prince proceeded to praise his ‘beloved Arash’ for the next hours, boasting how strong and amazing his knight was, that he was one of a kind. 

Gilgamesh had enough after three hours of Ozymandias's constant rambles. Honestly even after excusing himself, he swore that he still heard the name ‘Arash’ in his ear.

  
But after being bombarded with stories of the personal guard, Gilgamesh wondered how skilled his own ‘knight’ was.

He stopped dead in his tracks to turn around and point at Arthur, who simply raised a brow at Gilgamesh’s antics.

  
“You and I, in the courtyard now.”

Arthur didn’t know what the prince wanted, but he complied nonetheless, he had no other choice anyway.

It was late at night, with the moon set high in the clear night sky, there were occasional groups of guards patrolling the castle grounds, but the previous guests and servants have gone long to sleep.

Gilgamesh practically stomped to the middle of the courtyard and impatiently waited for Arthur. 

“You, give me your sword.” The prince pointed to one of the guards, which patrolled the area, the guard was a bit shocked, but gave his sword hastily to the prince.

Gilgamesh immediately pointed the tip to Arthur’s neck, the prince’s knight simply raised both of his hands in a surrendering matter.

“Have I done something to displease you, your majesty?”

Gilgamesh let out an annoyed huff.

“Stop treating me like a child already.”

The prince looked to the sheathed sword of Arthur and glanced back unto his face.

“ I challenge you to a battle.”

Arthur’s eyes widen a bit, he wasn’t quite sure how to respond to his prince’s request.

“A battle...? Shouldn’t we then fight with wooden swords inst-.”

Gilgamesh cut him off midway, taking yes as the only answer.

“If I win, you’ll leave me alone, regardless of what my parents say and If you win, you can continue with your little stalking game, deal?”

The knight simply sighed, he had to win that was for sure, it was his job after all to protect the prince and the only way to fulfill his mission was to stay by his side.

  
“As you wish.” Arthur gave him a slight bow and pulled out his sword, it was nothing special, a normal metal sword just like Gilgamesh’s, but Arthur didn’t mind, it was sharp and stable, it did its job so Arthur didn’t feel the need to go for something fancier.

Before Arthur could clarify the rules, Gilgamesh already sprinted towards him, swinging his sword at the knight.  
With one steady block, Arthur parried the attack and pushed Gilgamesh back.

The prince wasn’t shaken back though, he sprinted, once more, towards the guard and attacked him from a different angle.  
The said knight parried it again, resulting in Gilgamesh stumbling a bit.

Gilgamesh didn’t give up though, his pride was on the line after all. He simply couldn’t risk losing to Arthur, so he continued his attacks, making sure that he picked up speed with every hit, trying his best to overwhelm Arthur, with the onslaught of attacks.

But the knight simply wouldn’t budge, all he did was parry the prince’s attacks, waiting for Gilgamesh’s next move, it annoyed the royal to no end.

The sound of metal clashing, echoed through the courtyard, making a few guards and servants follow the source of the sounds. This eventually led to a large circle of people following the event, happening in front of their eyes.

Gilgamesh had enough, he wanted to end the obnoxious situation as quickly as possible, so as soon as he saw an opening, the prince charged at Arthur with a powerful strike.

‘ _This should guarantee my victory_...’ Gilgamesh smirked at the thought, but suddenly found himself _falling_?

He didn’t know what happened, but he felt a sharp pain in his leg, which made him fall backwards. The prince prepared for the drop, clenching his eyes closed on instinct.

But the drop never came, instead, he felt two large hands catching him before gravity could work its magic.

The only sound that could be heard was the metallic clinking of Gilgamesh’s sword hitting the stone floor and the small gasps of a few servants.

The prince slowly opened his eyes, not fully realizing what just had happened.   
He got greeted with emerald green eyes gazing upon him, with concern.

Gilgamesh’s cheeks redden in embarrassment, after realizing their position, especially since there were a lot of servants and guards witnessing the scene.

Arthur was holding _him_ , the _prince_ , in his arms like some damsel in distress, while having that obnoxious look on his face.

Gilgamesh pushed the knight away, bringing himself to drop on his butt, but he didn’t care about that right now.

The defeated prince quickly stood up, brushing the dust of his clothes.

Gilgamesh no longer was in the mood for anything, defeat leaving a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. The prince straightened his back and left the courtyard with the last bits of pride he still had left.

Of course with his knight hot on his trail.

Gilgamesh made sure to turn to the right, which was the exact opposite direction of his room. Arthur simply complied, not questioning the desires of the royal.

The blonde wished to talk to the knight alone, wishing not to make a commotion out of it.

At the end of the path, the two reached the elegant gardens of the palace. It was a place he and his mother used to visit a lot, not because he necessarily liked the gardens, it was just a quiet place, shielded from all the commotion and noises from the palace, it was the best place to relax and go for a walk.

Ninsun made sure, that the gardens were the most beautiful the country had to offer, with elegant flowers and detailed statues decorating them.

The only source of light was the blue full moon, shining unto the gardens, some of the plants reflected it, tainting them in an almost divine light. 

"How did I lose?" Gilgamesh knew that he wasn't the best when it came to that type of combat, but he didn't think that the battle would be so one-sided. Gilgamesh wasn't a fool, prideful yes, but far from stupid, he knew that Arthur easily won against him.   
The prince was bothered by the fact that his parents will most likely hear about their little competition, he didn't want them to know that he had faced bitter defeat against his own knight. After all, if he couldn't even win against his own servant, how was he supposed to rule over a country? He feared that they might not trust him to be able to hold the responsibility, which came with it.

"I thought that you were amazing." Gilgamesh was a bit stunned by the compliment but quickly shook it off, thinking that it was nothing more than simple false flattery. 

"Heh, you must be jok-." The prince stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Arthur's sincere eyes.  
He was a bit dumbfounded at the sight, he truly wished to belive that Arthur was lying to him, but Gilgamesh quickly realized, that the knight's words were nothing more but genuine.

"I mean it, you made a lot of mistakes, yes, but you fought to the bitter end, something which I didn't expect from you." 

"Heh?" 

'Fought to the better end...?' Of course, he would, did Arthur seriously think, that he would hide his tail and run away as soon as he noticed that he had the disadvantage? Of course, he wasn't going to run, victory was the only option for him. An option that he wasn't able to achieve in this fight, which made the prince rather mad at himself.

"You see.." The knight continued with his straightforward compliments, not having any shame at all.

"You continued to attack me, even though I parried every advance of yours with ease." 

'Did he truly had to add the with ease part?' Gilgamesh grumbled a bit, at Arthur's statement.

"And no you didn't slow down, in fact, every new hit was accompanied with greater speed and force, than the previous ones. Demonstrating your determination to win the battle." Arthur sheepishly glanced to the side and awkwardly scratched the back of his.

"I honestly thought, that you were nothing more than a spoiled brat..." Gilgamesh was about to give the man a piece of his mind, for having the audacity to dare to speak with him like that.

"But you showed me, that you have the determination of a true king."  
Arthur not only saw it during his attacks, but the fire in Gilgamesh's eyes told him already everything, the knight needed to know.

Arthur took the prince's hand in his own and kneed down, pressing Gilgmaesh's hand to his forehead.

"You truly are worthy of being my master." 

At first Arthur accepted Gilgamesh’s parents request, simply because it provided him with money and resources. He was going to protect the Prince, yes, but Arthur wasn't truly loyal to him, after all how could he express loyalty to a man, who he didn't even know? 

But now he had a better understanding of the prince's character and happily accepted the fact to serve him.

Arthur adored people, who didn't hide behind their title and status, people that conitune to fight no matter what, so he decided that the Prince was the perfect man to offer his loyalty to. 

"W-What?" The royal didn't quite understand what the knight meant but felt touched nonetheless.   
  


_‘But, perhaps this knight won’t be so bad after all?’_

" I promise, that I will protect you, with my sword and shield, even at the cost of my own life. For this is an oath, I shall never break."

\-------  
Months have passed and the odd pair have grown, quite close towards each other, something which didn't get unnoticed by the servants and Gilgmaesh's parents.

Where Gilgamesh was, there was Arthur, one never saw them alone. Gilgamesh's parents were happy at first, to find out that their usual arrogant son, found a genuine friend, but they soon found it very bothersome. 

Instead of looking for a bride, Gilgamesh rather went on a horse trip together with Arthur and instead of focusing on his studies Gilgamesh enjoyed the colorful festivals, Uruk had to offer, with the said man. The list went on and on, practically never-ending.

Lugalbanda was extremely bothered by the outcome and announced a ball, to find a suitable companion for his son.  
He lectured his son for hours, telling him that he had to find a suitable bride and that the ball would be the perfect opportunity for it.

The prince simply rolled his eyes, at this father's antics and gave an occasional 'I understand' or 'yes', displaying his boredom in the subject.  
As soon as he was freed, from his father's torture, Gilgamesh went to his room, where Arthur expectantly waited for him. 

He opened the door, with a perplexed groan and slammed it in a low effort matter.  
Arthur's eyes widen with happiness as soon as he saw Gilgamesh, like a dog waiting for his owner's return. The prince had to chuckle a bit a the thought.

"How did it go?" 

"Oh the usual, nothing special..." He fell unto his bed, enjoying the fact, that he could finally stretch his body properly.

"But, I guess, I'll have to go greet the guests." Gilgamesh rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed whine.

They have grown so close to each other, that they gladly let their guard down when they were alone together. Simply enjoying each other's company, without wasting too much air, they didn't have to fill the silence in between them, with worthless words. They savored these moments, all alone, where no one else was, where only they were important.  
Eventually, they grew so close to each other which led them to discover, that their feelings weren't just all _'prince'_ and _'loyal knight'_ for each other, but something far greater. 

But they were also quick to realize, that them being together was nothing more than wishful thinking.

They still indulged in their desire for each other, regardless of the risks and consequences. The two stole kisses from each other while walking hand in hand through the beautiful palace gardens, shielded by the darkness of the night. The couple also enjoyed the joyous festivals of Uruk together, pretending that they were nothing more than a prince and his loyal knight, sometimes touching each other a bit too closely, for the other servants likings, but they never complained, after all for them it seemed to be nothing more than innocent touches of fingers brushing against one another or Gilgamesh occasionally leaning too closely into Arthur's personal space. But for Gilgamesh and Arthur, being able to at least touch the other, even if others were watching, meant the world to the pair.

The only one, who found out about the pair's secret, was the prince from the faraway kingdom, Ozymandias. The two became immediately desperate, they didn't want to leave each other's embrace so soon and practically begged for the prince to not expose them, offering him treasures and power. But the said prince simply laughed it off, telling them that he certainly didn't expect it, but he held to grudge against it whatsoever. Apparently, he too, had some kind of complicated relationship, with his own guard, Arash, so the two were extremely relieved at Ozymandias's confession.

  
But both of them knew, that this dream they were living in, will soon disappear, leaving nothing more than painful memories and broken hearts.

Gilgamesh was supposed to be wed, this week, there was nothing they could do to prevent it.

Gilgamesh didn't want to think about their painful future and pulled himself to Arthur's position on the bed.  
The said knight gave him a questioning look, with raised eyebrows.

The royal just let out a huff and practically slammed himself on Arthur's lap, making himself comfortable. He put his arms around the knight's neck and pressed his face into Arthur's chest, enjoying the warmth that he was emitting.

"Gil...What if someone sees?" Arthur's sad voice worsened Gilgamesh's already sour mood. 

"Then let them see." 

The royal simply continued to bury his face into Arthur's chest, wishing that he could just stay by the loyal knight's side forever.

The knight eventually gave in, his own selfish desires getting in the way of rational thought.

He gave his prince a light kiss on the forehead, which made Gilgamesh release a pleased sound, Arthur then softly cupped the blonde's chin and brought him into a proper kiss, loving the feeling of being able to touch Giglamesh's lips, after a long time. 

The last time they were able to touch each other like this was, was already a few weeks ago, making them both desperate for each other's embrace.

The kiss soon took a turn for the heated side, due to both of them being so touch starved and Gilgamesh was about to unbutton Arthur's tunic, when there was suddenly a loud knock on the door.

  
Arthur practically shoved Gilgamesh off his lap and combed through his hair, trying his best to cover their misdoings.

Gilgamesh was of course not delighted, to be thrown off Arthur's lap, but jumped up regardless, knowing that being caught in their previous position, could be fatal to them especially Arthur, so he too, attempted to rearrange his clothes.

With a small cough, Gilgamesh let out an audible 'come in'.

A maid with short black hair came in, to tell them, that the ball has started and that they shouldn't let the guests wait. 

After delivering the message, the maid excused herself and left the two alone once more.

"I suppose I should get ready then." 

The prince walked up to Arthur and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You should go change, as well." 

Arthur gave Gilgamesh one last glance and made his way to his own room, trying to put together an outfit for the ball. He wasn't very good at fashion, but Arthur still tried his best, he didn't care what others thought about him, the knight simply wished to look presentable for Gilgamesh.

So he got out his most expensive suit, it was pure white, with it he wore a blue dress shirt and a royal blue tie. The insides of the coat, where dyed in the same bluish tone, on his right hip was the sheat of his sword.

It was true that he was going to attend a ball, but he still had to protect Gilgamesh from potential danger, so he made sure to attach the sword in a way, that it was easily pulled out.

With one last glance into the mirror, Arthur went to the direction of the ballroom, joining the festivities.

\-----------

The room was large and round, decorated with golden treasures and tables filled with endless buffets of food.

The dance floor was located in the middle of the room, with a large chandelier hanging down the ceiling. There was a rather large orchestra located, on the right side of the room, playing melodies suitable for slow dancing.

"So you're the prince? You're really handsome and co-...." Gilgamesh already stopped listening to the useless blabbering of the girl in front of him, he has told his parents before, he had to interest in searching for a bride, but they simply didn't understand or perhaps didn't want to understand.

He also hated how he could barely breathe, the suit the maids dressed him in was far too tight to his liking. It was very similar to his usual attire, just far more ornamented with pieces of gold and diamonds.  
He also detested the large coat, they gave him, it was heavy to say the least. The prince truly didn't understand how anyone thought that his attire was fashionable, but people, even Arthur, always told him that he had a strange taste of fashion, so he wasn't quite sure what to think about it.

At least he was allowed to wear his favorite earrings. They were nothing special, at least for someone of his caliber, they were only small round buds of rubies, surrounded with small diamonds, but the prince cherished them with all of his heart. People would often question his urge to wear them, after all, they were used to him wearing large and expensive sets of jewelry, but Gilgamesh never answered them, if they knew the truth about them, his parents would probably forbid him from wearing them...so he made sure to hold the reason of love for them a secret.

It was rather obvious by now, that they were a gift from Arthur.  
The knight wasn't very wealthy, to say the least, it was true that he worked as the personal guard of the prince, which is why he already was rewarded with a large room inside the palace halls and a constant running kitchen, for Arthur to attend himself to, the knight was also free to use the large and luxurious baths of the palace if he wished to do so.  
His job practically already provided him with a comfortable lifestyle, so there was no need for them to pay Arthur with a large sum of money.

Yet he still saved up all of his money and spent it on a gift for him.

Arthur gave him the earrings on one of their nightly walks, in the gardens of the palace, Gilgamesh immediately wore them, for the following weeks, refusing to take them off.

The prince smiled fondly at the memory, circling over them unconsciously.

"You seem to be in a very good mood, your majesty." 

The blonde awakened from his trace, as soon as he heard the annoying voice of the women once more.

"I suppose..." 

He quickly excused himself, not in the mood to talk with any more 'potential brides'. He already got introduced to thirteen of them and was forced to dance with all of them, he was tired and wanted nothing more to fall asleep in Arthur's arms.

The blonde was about to head upstairs and call it a day until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He grew rather irritated very quickly and turned around with a scowl, hoping to simply scare off whoever dared to touch him freely, without any permission, but stopped as soon as he saw the cause of his 'irritation'.

"Arthur." Gilgamesh whispered the name in relieve, feeling a lot more relaxed with Arthur's familiar presence.

The said knight simply reached out his hand and gave him a slight bow.

"May I have this dance?"

The prince raised an unimpressed eyebrow at his knight's antics but complied, of course.

Arthur dragged them to the middle of the dance room, which made Arthur's entire form visible.

"Hmmm..." The blonde gave a pleased purr. " Looking like this, you could easily go through as royalty yourself." 

Arthur took the lead and started to slowly bring the pair in a leisurely dance.

"Heh...I'm glad that you like it."

"Like is an understatement... You should wear suits more often."

Arthur let out a light chuckle and brought the prince into a light spin, bringing him closely unto his chest, the knight held the position for a few seconds and released Gilgamesh with another spin.

"You look beautiful today, Gilgamesh." Arthur shamelessly complimented the prince in front of the crowd, but he knew that no one would be able to hear them under the loud orchestral.

"Hmph, you tell me that every day." The royal gave him an arrogant reply, but a soft smile crept its way unto Gilgamesh's face nevertheless.

"Well, it is the truth." He gave the prince a teasing smile.  
"And it's forbidden, for me, to lie to my lord, after all." The statement made both of them crack a smile, feeling relieved to finally be by the others side.

They knew that this might be their last chance, to be this close with each other. So they danced in harmony together, enjoying the feeling of the other and giving the other occasionally sad and understanding smiles, practically reassuring them, ‘that it will be okay’.

  
Lugalbanda saw their dance from afar and was about to stop it, due to the knight invading his son's personal space, multiple times during their dance.

But before he could do something he felt his wife's hand on top of his.  
The king looked into her soft pleading eyes, Ninsun shook her head gently and whispered gently.

"Don't, let them have this moment...it might be their last." 

Lugalbanda huffed at his wife's wish and gave in. She was right though, he has never seen his son so happy before, but as much as he loved his child being happy, they had a century-long tradition in Uruk.  
Gilgamesh was supposed to find a suitable bride and produce heirs for the throne, Gilgamesh's sisters did the same, it was expected of him to fulfill his duty as well. 

The king simply grumbled under his breath and continued to observe their dance.

\-----

After their dance, the two rushed towards Gilgamesh's room, yearning to feel each other's touch even more. This might be their last night together, ever. So they took it slow and steady trying to the feel their partner's every move. 

It was a passionate night, filled with desperate feelings of desire and lust, but most importantly love. They whispered each other sweet nothings, promising each other, that they will always be together no matter what, but both of them knew, that those sweet words were nothing more than lies, trying to prolong their beautiful illusion in which they lived in. 

They held the other's body as close as possible, too afraid to let go. The thought of leaving the other terrified them, so they made sure to cling to the other's body, refusing to lighten their grip.

After finishing the hight of their emotional lovemaking, the pair basked in the afterglow of their climaxes, together. 

Arthur held Gilgamesh closely to his body, while the other wrapped his arms around Arthur's neck, burying his face into the crook of the knight's neck.

Arthur gave Gilgamesh’s hairline a loving kiss and pulled the blanket unto their bodies. The knight tightened his grip unto his 'lover' and shakily brushed a few golden strands, behind the prince's ear. 

Gilgamesh felt him hesitate for a few seconds, until he heard the soft words _'I love you'_ being muttered against his own skin.

Gilgamesh's breath hitched at the confession, too terrified to say anything. They never told each other these words, they never gave these emotions a name, too scared to admit their true feelings, because if they did, the harsh reality of the situation would crush their very souls. 

And it did, it crushed both of them, knowing that their love was mutual, but was never going to be truly accepted.

So Gilgamesh simply buried his face further into Arthur's neck. 

_'I love you too...'_

He wished he had the strength to say the words out loud, but he simply couldn't bring himself to release any sound at all, it pained him too much.

A silent tear ran down the prince's cheek, chiseling their fate into stone.

_'How cruel.'_

It hurt, it hurt so much, all he could do now, was tighten his grip unto Arthur's shoulders, trying his best to ease the pain... 

The knight simply continued to caress the prince's back, with soft 'shushing' noises. 

"It's okay Gil, I promise that I will always be on your side." 

The statement simply made the prince hiccup even more, of course Gilgamesh knew, that Arthur was never going to break his oath. But it hurt to know, that Arthur will always stay by his side, protecting him with his life.

Yet they will never be truly together. 

**Author's Note:**

> Oof...This is the first time for me to write a sad ending, so I'm not quite sure if I handled it correctly...
> 
> As the tags state, this was intended to be a short fluffy One-Shot like my other Gilthur fanfic.  
> Well, it appeared to be that I was in the mood to write something angsty.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!  
> Constructive criticism is always appreciated.
> 
> My twitter if anyone is interested: https://twitter.com/FrozenMoon5


End file.
